It all began in 1945. 1945 was the year Volkswagen rolled out its first car. This week, in Wolfsburg Germany, the company rolled out a Touran 1.9 TDI. The Touran was Volkswagen's 100,000,000th car built.

This makes VW the first car manufacturer in Europe to reach the production milestone.

VW's best selling models have been the Golf (23 million across five series), Beetle (21.5 million) and 13 million Passats (across four series).

In 2004, Volkswagen delivered 3.06 million vehicles to customers in more than 150 countries around the world.

In the UK, 2004 was Volkswagen's best year, with 181,897 cars sold.

69,784 of them were Golfs, 45,530 were Polos and 31,510 were Passats.

The Volkswagen brand has a global workforce of over 133,000.

A Ratzinger VW Sells for $244,000

Earlier this month, a six-year-old Volkswagen sold for nearly a quarter of a million dollars after word got out that it might have once belonged the new pope, Benedict XVI, when he was a German cardinal.

A Lifetime of Love for The Love Bug

In 1961, my parents decided that rather than my birthplace, New York City, California was the place to be. So they loaded up their forest green VW Bug, put me into the backseat of the car, and headed west.

When my folks talk about the trip they always reminisce about how I made eyes with the truck drivers the whole way to California, and how much fun it was to drive that ol' bug across country.

In 1967, my mother upgraded her green VW to a Volkswagen Convertible. It was red with a black top.

Her license plate? CVPFD.

For those of you in the investment business, you know that this stands for "Convertible Preferred" -- yes, a type of stock. But most of all, the right kind of car to have, especially if you live in California.

Back in those days, as kids we could ride to Eddy's Ice Cream at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto and get away with sitting up on the backseat. My dad would pile in all three kids plus friends. Those were the good ol' days!

In highschool, I dated one guy who drove a Porsche (the original maker of the Volkswagen) and another guy, who drove a VW Bus. Just thinking about it brings back great memories...except for the time I had my feet on John's dashboard, he stopped abruptly and my right foot went through the windshield.

From 1983-1985, my best friend in college, Lisa Roth drove a yellow Volkswagen convertible. I once again rode shotgun. But I never busted her windshield. Her bug was a definite guy magnet. Especially those Harvard Med and MIT Biz School guys.

Those were the good ol' days too.

In 1984, my parents bought my sister a white Cabriolet Convertible when she graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont. More than twenty years later, her little PETIT CHOU (a French term of endearment which means Little Cabbage Head) remains part of the family.

Petit Chou Getting A Bath

About five years ago, my sister retired PETIT CHOU to our summer cottage in Kennebunkport Maine. Our convertible is still going strong -- all the way into the Port for an ice cream cone at Marie's, Ben & Jerry's or Big Daddy's in Wells.

In 1985, my parents bought me a gold VW Scirocco. After leaving C.U. Boulder before the end of my junior year they were genuinely concerned whether or not their first born would graduate from college. It was a happy day I got a B.A. in Business Management and my very first car!

Two weeks after receiving my graduation gift, I had my Scirocco packed up and prepared for a six-month cross-country solo adventure from San Francisco back to Boston in time for Tim's graduation from MIT.

My code name when talking on the CB Radio with truckers was "Honey Bee." Sometimes Tim still calls me Honey Bee.

Ten Four Good Buddy!

When I finally gave her up over ten years later, I was glad to know that a single mom with two kids would be making good use of my cherished VW.

A few years ago, my mom also graduated her Volkswagen convertible.

Today, she is driving another German-made automobile -- we call it the ultimate iPod accessory.

Her old VW convertible is still in the neighborhood, however. She sold it to a friend down the street.

However, my mom still has her custom license plate.

While our immediate family owns a Jeep Wrangler today, every time we need to rent a vehicle but don't have to have a seven-seater, we go for the VW Beatle. The kids love it.

The love it so much they've been asking for one for years.

The Buggy Game

For the past two months, whether our kids, Jessie and Niki are walking the streets of San Francisco, taking the bus, or riding with mom and dad they have a favorite game they play called "The Buggy Game." The first person to find 100 VW Bugs -- old or new -- wins!

Perhaps when Jessie or Niki graduates from college they'll get that "buggy" they always wanted.

I'll bet you $100 they'll still want one twelve and fourteen years from now!

Congratulations Volkswagen for building your 100 millionth car and for providing this family with a lifetime of love for the bug.

For the latest developments at Volkswagen go to:

The newest Beetle on the block is a convertible that starts at $21,290.

Available colors include: platinum grey, galactic blue, reflex silver, uni black, mellow yellow, cyber green, tornado red, aquarius blue, harvest moon beige or sundown orange. Tough choice!

Start Your Engines

Thanks to Walt Disney Pictures, we look forward to this summer's movie about that good 'ol 1963 Love Bug, Herbie.

We'll be there on June 22nd for opening day of Herbie: Fully Loaded starring Lindsay Lohan, Ken Hersey and Michael Keaton.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, German-engineered "cvpfd" living, forever!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC